My Friend, the Gifted: A Sci-Fantasy

By E. L. Aldryc

What would you sacrifice to become extraordinary? 
 


Elodie Marchand struggles to stand out at the Sight Institute. With so many brilliant minds pushing the limits of AI, alchemy, and nanotechnology, it feels impossible to compete. A stark contrast to her best friend, and the Institute’s unrivalled favourite - Soraya Gourrami. 
 Soraya’s firm encouragement curbs Elodie’s impatience, and in turn, she helps keep Soraya’s temper in check.

A perfect symbiosis. 


And all that is about to change with one simple meeting. 


When the Institute’s psychic organisation mandates a thorough search for new gifted blood, Elodie jumps at the opportunity to finally reach for greatness.  


Even if she may not survive the test, or the process that follows. 
 Elodie will need all the help she can get to keep her life and sanity through the test that will establish her suitability for a life of duty and prestige. But Soraya’s friendship suddenly comes with a single new rule. 
 Elodie can never look into her past or future.

 But accidents happen. And some secrets are too big and dangerous to keep. 
 It’s time to choose.

Friendship or a chance to claim her true self at any cost? _____________________________

My Friend, The Gifted is the first of four written accounts that chronicle the rather explosive events that made 2363 a year to remember. 
 As you dive into the often secretive lives of four friends, you’ll find out how much damage a single person can do to humanity’s future.

Did we say damage? No, no damage. Only wonderful, beautiful things.  Come along for the ride. But remember, whatever happens, never take your eyes off the Universe of Infinite Wonder.

_____________________________

FRIENDLY FACTS ABOUT THIS VOLUME:

* Language: UK English

* Naughty word count: 5 (a rather well-behaved narrative if you ask us)

* Series publication speed: Slow, the author is a perfectionist rennaissance menace who simple won't let go before the next book is amazing

* Trigger warnings: physical and verbal violence, substance abuse

* You will love this book if: you liked The Magicians or Vicious, and were mildly amused by Annihilation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Infinite Library
• Release date: Nov 29, 2023

Book preview

Timeline and roadmap to the Universe of Infinite Wonder detailing how you go from book one to book two with a massive jump to the past, then book three catches up with book one and moves the story forward, and then things get deliciously complicated.

A COLD WELCOME

"The Five Philosophers took knowledge that led nowhere and replaced it with something the world needed—a plan to enrich plain science with the sublime. Responsibly.

Only three of the original Five left us with lasting legacies, but our world has changed beyond recognition. We practice true alchemy. We live with conscious AI. And we celebrate the gifted, who see a future where the work of the Five converges into something beautiful and better.

They call it the Universe of Infinite Wonder.

See it with them. It is the only plan for a future worth living, one where the magical invades the ordinary just enough to establish a precise new balance. See it. Many forms of suffering will disappear for the final time. And we will be free to challenge the self, not the hunger, for the first time. Humanity deserves mercy.

But you’ll be wise to know one thing. No matter how many legacies are left, there is only one guiding light and shepherd of a future for humanity.

The Gifted. The Gifted are the key to everything."

Augustina Weiss, Rising Dawn President in Rotation, Opening Keynote for Faraji-con 2351

BELO HORIZONTE

Saturday, 1 December 2362

Elodie hit rock bottom on a Tuesday night. It happened at 4 a.m. in Brasil, in a poolside dive in Belo Horizonte, right after sixteen hours of damage control. The gifted had moved the doomsday clock a whole five minutes closer to midnight; there was an environmental disaster detected on the event horizon, something about clean water disappearing again. They drafted all departments to come up with emergency patents, and no one got leave until the gifted decided they had enough in their arsenal to weather a potential crisis. Elodie was noticing how they increased in frequency. Junior researchers didn’t get breaks on days like these. All they had were the parties afterwards, raging with a force of four hundred thirsty, overworked brains.

Outside, everyone still tried to dance by the pool, but it was getting harder. The sticky floor had spilled drinks all over, mixed together with other less glamorous fluids. No more pictures. Through the small window in the toilet, Elodie heard someone shouting that they’d lost their handbag. The water was still; the handbag was floating in the middle of it. A loud, warped pachanga kept playing for the few who still kept up with the beat. Inside the villa, Elodie held her best friend’s hair as she vomited her way through a bottle too many, swaying back and forth. And there came this moment of clarity.

She messed up. Two years at the Sight Institute, and all she did was hold hair back for the elite. The rest fell under Soraya’s job description. Her friend. Their boss’s right hand. An indispensable asset. The one that made it. And Elodie? Harmless. Great at parties. Invisible at work. She’d never seen herself with this much lucidity.

I have to be back at work in four hours, Soraya declared, her voice all raspy. Elodie listened to the music. It wasted a heavenly harmony on these drunks. But Elodie was listening. She heard the words in the music.

No hay que ver el futuro para saber lo que va a pasar.

And it was never as simple as in that moment. A peripheral idea, the test was actually her last option. Why couldn’t she acknowledge it?

Listen, I want to do it. I’m going to test for giftedness, she said.

What? Soraya paused at the statement and raised her head with great strain. We’ve talked about this. No, you don’t. Just no. The gifted are… disgusting.

And she twisted in nausea, returning to the toilet. Elodie gathered her white hair and held it up like a good friend.

Don’t be like that, not when I’m telling you I just want to try something, Elodie said and tapped Soraya’s back as she coughed. I’ve been here for what, two years? I haven’t done anything. I’m the lowest-rated researcher there is. This is your fault, too. You don’t push me hard enough.

You’re not the lowest.

That’s not the point! Where’s my exceptional?

Now you listen, Soraya said from below, somewhat delirious, I want to stop having this conversation every time you’re wasted. You have nothing to prove. You’re not damaged. People come to you to talk about things other than work. That’s the gift. You’re great. Being taken seriously would destroy you.

Even in this deplorable state, Soraya was all eloquence. Elodie pulled her hair up a bit too tightly and twisted it to get it away from her face. That’s what she got for being all condescending.

Oh, please. You don’t have to be messed up to accomplish something extraordinary, she replied. I also work for the Sight Institute, so I should contribute to human progress. Which I am not. And I would like to.

Soraya had something to add to that, but she groaned in absent pain instead.

Elodie opened up a small holographic mirror window and checked if her lipstick was in place. It wasn’t.

If I join the gifted, Seravina will take me more seriously. It shows commitment.

Seravina Giovanotti cultivated and grew the knowledge of the Five. She’d brought their near-forgotten philosophies back to the forefront of science. She’d put her money behind what she believed in. That was the woman Elodie wanted to be. Back when she interviewed Elodie among the dozens of young ambitious students, she said that Elodie had a spark in her. That she could see her thrive. Fast forward, and two years had passed in a flurry of irresponsible drinking and long shifts. Elodie was drained. And ashamed to pass Seravina in the hallway.

You don’t want her to take you seriously, trust me, Soraya said weakly in between the convulsions. I need to be at work in four hours. There’s a… correlation.

No, that’s on you for being a workaholic. Relax. I’ll just take the test. I’ll be gifted. And I don’t have to be the most gifted person ever. Just a little bit. Just enough to finally have an advantage, she said, testing out a smile in the mirror app.

I love how you’re taking this so lightly, Soraya said and promptly collapsed on the floor and into a foetal position.

Hey, say you’ll support me! Elodie closed the window and lay next to her, poking her to see if she was awake. The floor was pleasantly warm, and there was something to look forward to. Even better. All it took was sixteen hours of torture and a revelation.

Soon. The gifted always looked like they were on a mission. Mysterious and heroic. She should have thought of this earlier. The gifted with their gifts. Finally something of direct use to the Institute. She should have gotten tested ages ago. Wonderful and powerful. Not like the current Elodie, who aimlessly drifted from project to project. The Elodie today, who had to manually count thousands of samples because the AI couldn’t see them. Or the Elodie of tomorrow, who might bring coffee to a real researcher. The Elodie after the test—now we’re talking.

You know I need this, she whispered.

No, you don’t, Soraya whispered back, and you don’t know the dangers.

Okay, but I’m gonna do it anyway.

Soraya let out a sigh.

Stop talking like you mean it.

The two rarely disagreed on anything. Their friendship was harmony. The gifted were one of the few things that always got Soraya rattled. She didn’t trust them. For no reason, Elodie liked to add.

Someone was banging on the cubicle door. They started shouting in Portuguese, and Elodie kicked back at the door, missing it.

I hate the gifted, Soraya mumbled, falling asleep.

Aha, but once I’m in, you’ll love at least one of them. The statement will no longer be true. Elodie brushed hair from her face.

Soraya forced herself up. A cute comment, Elodie thought, but it agitated her so much she looked almost sober.

You are so precious. Soraya held Elodie’s face in her hands, and it hurt a little. The gifted don’t care about that. They make people into functions. What if they make you like them, boring and heartless? Or worse. That would kill me, Elodie. It would actually kill me.

Her eyes were pitch black. You couldn’t tell where her irises ended, so Soraya always looked on edge. But this was real. Her voice was shaking. Elodie pulled her closer and hugged her.

Zero chance. You come first. I just want to try it. Just to try it, she said.

I don’t know how I’m gonna handle this, Soraya whispered and held on to her even tighter.

This was as much an approval as she would get, and Elodie hoped she wasn’t too drunk to remember getting the green light from the only person who mattered. The stars were aligning.

She turned on her back, observing the grey ceiling, listening to the melody of the music and of kicks to the door.

The Universe of Infinite Wonder was coming for Elodie.

STAR QUALITY ALIGNMENT

Tuesday, 1 January 2363

A hundred years since the Five shook up the world with their thought, the Sight Institute still captured the essence of what they stood for. It followed a feeble dream, and while most of the world was trying to forget these kinds of slim chances, Sight Institute refused to let go. It fed on a legacy. It thrived. A fortress of philosophy in practice. A fortress of the only future worth living. Just saying the name was an act of belief. The Sight Institute. For Elodie, it was like hissing at a weak opponent. The accent helped. Where do you work?

I work at the Sight Institute.

The way people looked at her when she said it rekindled the wonder she had when she started, if only for a moment. Since the party in Belo Horizonte, Elodie didn’t need people asking where she worked to feel it again. Every night, in the middle of a long routine that let her reflect on the day and get in the right headspace, she tried it on for size. She would say to the mirror, from different angles, and in different, calm voices. I work in the Sight Institute, but more specifically, Rising Dawn.

There was never a good time to go through with it, but the weeks immediately after that party were too grim for her to push and add tension in the house. Elodie and Soraya had lived together since she came to the Institute and got paired with a live-in buddy and a temporary flat, all to help her adjust to life on Madilune. Most people moved out after a few months, but Elodie stayed. They clicked. Even though she did most of the talking at the beginning, Elodie learned to watch out for body language and listen carefully. It was the only way to get Soraya to share what was going well, or not so much. Otherwise, she only talked about the Institute.

They used to have a couple more close friends until Soraya got into a fight with one of them that was so bad, the poor guy left the island. Things got awkward and the group fell apart. Since then, Soraya had been avoiding all social life by either working late inside the Particle Lab, or studying academic articles at home. And even though this wasn’t good news by any means, it seemed to help Elodie’s plan along.

Now that she wasn’t out having drinks every night, Elodie spent more time on her own at the Institute. And when Soraya wasn’t walking the halls by her side, complaining about legal compliance or something equally boring, an unexpected ally appeared. Tammy Two Feathers, the reigning president of Rising Dawn and one of the most powerful gifted in the world, would give her a little wink and a smile when she passed her, and greet her by name. Prognosts could read intent and translate it into visions of what someone’s future would look like if they followed through. She knew. Elodie’s heart jumped every time. She smiled back.

All these were signs that things were in motion. She just needed to wait for the right moment. Soraya might have known about her intentions, but it was a bad time to test the strength of their friendship.

So on New Year’s Eve, Elodie staged a near-intervention, getting Soraya out of the house to a party off Madilune. She reluctantly agreed, and only after Elodie promised that she’d go to the morning meeting with her. Seravina had some kind of news to share with an inner circle, but Elodie was the closest thing to a person Soraya fully trusted, and so she often got invited alongside her more influential flatmate. It was both a perk of living with the Institute’s unofficial right hand and a frequent reminder that it wasn’t her brilliance that got her in. Seravina liked certain types of people, and she liked Elodie for the wrong reasons. She kept saying that she had the kind of face that wanted people to see at the Institute. Extroverted. Carefree. Smiling. An image ambassador. People liked to think the Institute was made up of Belgian blondes whose name everyone knew, but no one knew what they were doing there.

At 8 a.m. sharp, New Year’s Day, like torture, Seravina Giovanotti entered the main conference room in the admin building in an orange sequin dress. She was an exceptionally tall, dark woman, with an ever-present shine about her. Elodie never understood whether it was charisma alone or holographic projections that crafted it, only the fact that it made her look like down-to-earth royalty.

The outfit was a parody of the glitz that still rang in Elodie’s ears as she struggled to keep her eyes open. But she had to. She had put purple lipstick on. The thought of its velvety beauty kept her awake, and the sobering nausea was abating. All high-level executives from different departments were in the room, with ten trustworthy junior researchers who acted as assistants to others. At the head of the table were Tammy Two Feathers, and next to Seravina, Soraya. Musing pleasantly. No one could have suspected that forty minutes ago they were both shouting into an ancient karaoke machine in Oslo. Good times.

There was nobody in the room to represent AI interests. People didn’t publicly align with the agenda too tightly—AIs were a dead pursuit ever since their spiritual leader died, and a non-fashionable subject.

And then there was His Excellency Dr Per Birkelund, the only living (and sane) remainder of the Five Philosophers. An aura of aggressive self-importance surrounded him, carrying more emotion than his stony face. His last remaining apprentice looked as miserable as ever. Business as usual. Alchemists rarely came to meetings. They considered themselves better than the rest. Their science was the only one out of the Five that had fulfilled its mission by producing matter that was all sublime and made other matter forget its properties. They were apparently just waiting for the rest to catch up.

Elodie was curious to see if the apprentice would break the silence. His name was Frederich Hawken, and even while they were friends, he was a tricky one to get through. Now it was awkward. Soraya was uncomfortable, but only Elodie could notice. Frederich was ignoring both, like the absolute ass that he was, probably overthinking an alchemical equation. Elodie used to be intrigued by this indifference. Used to be. This too was a sign it was time to move on to something new.

Seravina gave them reading material as they settled. She and Tammy both stood up in a hurried conversation. One by one, the staff around the table was bringing up visible holographic windows projected in front of them. Madilunian comms were based on their homemade nanotechnology, the tola network—the greatest export in the world. Simple surface thoughts, controlling holographic windows so crisp, you wanted to press your nose against them. Only in Madilune could you see technology close to perfection and the sublime they strived towards.

Although they could only harness enough power for transferring and carrying information, tola nanos were small enough to penetrate beyond matter to the sublime, accessing power of forces only those who followed the Five could truly understand. The rest knew terms based on their approximations, like intent, materialisation, will, consciousness. These took over when conventional knowledge showed limits. They were forces that were shunned until the appropriate climate emerged for them to find their way back into scientific discourse, as fragile as it was a hundred years ago. Forces almost lost to oblivion after the Five failed, until one woman, Seravina Giovanotti, put a lot of money behind them and created a product that promised energy beyond the limits of possible. The legacy of the Five Philosophers resumed the making of the future they dreamt so fervently. It was easy to hope in this world. With only a billion people left, all living in safe curated zones around the world, it felt quiet and empty. Elodie brought up a window too and read the note.

[TOPIC: Testing Tuesday

The Rising Dawn HQ will open its doors on Tuesday, the 29th of January 2365 to all the Institute to take part in a large-scale ability testing event. All will take part. That includes you, and, if applicable, your subordinates.]

Now, let's talk about the why, Seravina said, clearly having prepared a speech. The sequins rattled, and Elodie watched them reflect the single ray of sun that snuck in behind her. "The recruitment drive into the Rising Dawn slowed down during the last few months, but the demand for gifted services is still increasing. Rising Dawn cannot dilute its pool any further by accrediting more associations—they’re already stretched too thin. As an umbrella organisation, the Sight Institute is responsible for ensuring the thriving of its parts. We must lend our efforts to aid the gifted with their proliferation.

"A healthy number of gifted is the most important symbol of progress, power and sustainable development. Strengthening Rising Dawn directly means strengthening the Institute and makes the Madilunian government look very good. The government enables all of us to live and work on this island without imposing its interests on the agenda of the Five. If these things make little sense to you, I suggest you look at a different career.

Above all, we’re dedicated to the slow, steady, and sure progress, which can only be achieved through increasing the strength of the gifted. Testing Tuesday will contribute to the glorious future of the Five Philosophers and help the legacy of Nada Faraji thrive. The current prognostic efforts have predicted a huge breakthrough within the next few months, which means we might enter exciting territory with new faces at the helm.

Elodie was waiting for Seravina to look at her, out of all these people, and make it real. To say they were waiting for her.

"So how, you're probably asking. Seravina scanned the table instead, looking for resistance. Elodie noticed Seravina always played up her Sicilian accent when she looked for dissidence. Even though our employees are twice as likely to test for giftedness, the actual number of those who do it is still low. Seeing that there are just so many people who are already knee-deep in their understanding of sublime forces, Tammy proposed that we boost Rising Dawn numbers internally. And here you go: Testing Tuesday is born."

She raised her arms in a self-congratulatory pose. Obligatory testing. What an idea.

"Testing hundreds of people in a single day obviously won’t be easy, so it’s up to you to make it painless. Encourage your colleagues and friends to do it as early as possible. I’d rather have a queue at 7 a.m. than in the evening.

Of course, we need to go through some legal business to put you at ease. We recommend that you have this conversation with your team if you are a department head as well. This is an obligatory work event. However, the results are for internal purposes only. We cannot emphasise enough that even if you, or your subordinates, test positive, you won’t be forced to be part of Rising Dawn. But you will be warmly encouraged.

Elodie looked at Soraya, sitting there on the opposite side of the table, her lips tightly pursed together, a look of solid hate directed at the small holographic window.

It was quintessentially Madilunian to fight about, think about, explore the philosophy of the Five. That’s what made it a place of its own. Elodie often thought about how the history of the entire world led to this meeting, in this room, in a place that would have been unimaginable only a hundred years ago. Madilune. An accidental island in the middle of the Atlantic, a city state that birthed six new music genres, with no respect for anything other than the legacy of the Five. The work here was so coveted that no one dared attacking the ideas, slowing down something as beautifully precious as hope. Madilune was bursting with life, shaping the world with a quest for goodness. Special. It stood for something. Just like Elodie wanted to.

Not even Soraya could stop it now. It was all coming together. They said it. Testing Tuesday was obligatory.

All right, everybody. Seravina clapped to hush the murmurs. This will be a logistical nightmare to organise, and it will mean several days with no real work done. But it’s imperative that we do it.

Why? Why now? Rising Dawn was always scouting for fresh meat. She looked over to Tammy instinctively, as if she could get answers from her face alone.

In that moment, Tammy turned to address the room.

It’s so lovely to hear the Institute is on the same page about this, she said, even though the rest of the Institute was merely receiving orders.

Tammy Two Feathers was Seravina’s softer and nicer counterweight. Exuding peace and diplomacy, wearing white blissful dresses, she seemed like a person who was easier to empathise with. But Soraya always warned that Tammy was much more than a harmless spiritual leader. Seravina favoured the gifted, which was a warning sign. According to her, a certain degree of aggression and manipulation was key to get into their leader’s good books. Elodie doubted the gifted needed that. They were the most useful part of the Institute. They predicted challenges and dangers so well that life at the Institute was mostly uneventful.

Because there’s a reason why we need reinforcements now, more than ever, Tammy continued. We’ve sensed the Universe of Infinite Wonder on the horizon. Just barely, but we sensed it.

The table fell silent. So that was the truth behind it. Not a marketing ploy, but a door to true progress, heralded by a sign of wonder. The kind worthy of the universe they desired. This wasn’t supposed to happen in their lifetime. They were always told that the Five had failed and there was no way of telling when humanity would be worthy of another chance to reach for the Universe of Infinite Wonder. But Tammy stood there gravely and peacefully. Meaning it.

Elodie heard a rushed whisper from several parts of the room